Talk about a party: Country Thunder packs 23 shows into four days

Country Thunder, the music festival held every April in Florence, is a rite of spring in Arizona.

Beginning next Thursday, the town will host four days of country music in a valley once prized for its farming.

The festival’s operators have spent months sprucing up the grounds that include the grassy fields that stretch from the sprawling main stage to the Electric Thunder after-party tent. That’s where you’ll find Tucson’s own very talented DJ Du (aka Duhamel Cassell) nightly spinning country remixes and EDM hits until wee into the morning.

“The site has never looked better. Right now it is incredible. It’s green, green, green,” said Brian Andrews, VP of Country Thunder’s parent company Premier Global Production Co. Inc. of Nashville, Tennessee.

The festival opens with Brett Eldredge on April 9. Other nightly headliners are Big & Rich on April 10, Blake Shelton April 11 and Luke Bryan April 12.

Cadillac campgrounds

Country Thunder is introducing its new “premier campsites” for RV rally enthusiasts — a section off the festival grounds Main Street, directly behind the Skybox.

“This is not primitive camping by any means,” said Andrews. “This is the ultimate RV camping. We electrify the site. They have water and sewer.”

Of course, such luxury accommodations come at a price: $1,700 per RV, which includes two four-day festival passes, Skybox seats and meals throughout the weekend.

Andrews said the site is nearly sold out. The festival’s 11 other campsites have been sold out for months.

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

Icy sticker shock

If you’re camping out at Country Thunder, you might want to stock up on ice, or arrange for someone to bring you some from town. The cost is pretty steep on-site: $9 for a 20-pound bag. To get the same amount of ice from Circle K a few miles away in Florence — they sell them in 10-pound bags, not 20 — is $4.88, and that’s with tax included.

Country Thunder by the numbers

3 Arizona-born or -based artists on the main-stage lineup including Tucson’s own Drew Cooper. Arizona also is well represented on the secondary stages throughout the festival.

4 days of concerts, kicking off with rising country newcomer Brett Eldredge next Thursday.

5 concerts on the opening and closing days, April 9 and 12.

7 shows on the biggest day April 11, with Blake Shelton headlining.

23 years that Country Thunder has been going on here and the number of artists on this year’s lineup.

6,200 camping spots, all sold out.

24,000 estimated number of people who will attend per day according to early ticket sales.